THE developers of the Melaka International Cruise Terminal (MICT) must comply with requirements, including an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report, before the project is given the green light, Kota Melaka lawmaker Khoo Poay Tiong said.

Khoo said he was unsure if the EIA had been completed.

“The developers have to follow procedure. So, where is the EIA report?,” he told The Malaysia Insight.

“They have to prepare the report just like for any other development. So far we have not heard if the report has been done,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Last month, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the ministry was in discussions with the Malacca government to resume the MICT project, which operating licence was revoked over several issues.

He said the reclamation works were almost completed and there would be negative implications if the Melaka Gateway project was discontinued.

“We have no problem supporting the continuation of this project, but we need to take into account the views of the state government,” he had said.

Khoo meanwhile said he had met with Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Environment Department officials to discuss the project.

“They said they have the report (EIA), but I was made to understand that it’s an outdated one.

“So as far as I know they (developers) have not prepared the report.

“My stand since day one is there must be an EIA (report). Follow the law.”

The MICT is part of the RM42 billion Melaka Gateway, a mixed development on four artificial islands.

The 550ha project in the Strait of Malacca was launched in 2014 by then prime minister Najib Razak.

Work was to have started in 2018 and completed in 2025. However, it was cancelled in 2020 by the Pakatan Harapan government.

Recently, the Barisan Nasional-led state government handed the project back to the developers.

The development is projected to create more than 40,000 jobs, attract 2.5 million tourists yearly and generate RM1.19 trillion for the local economy.

Last month, Save our Seashores Melaka (SOS Melaka) called for greater transparency and clarity on the project. The group was concerned the project would cause pollution

It said Loke was misinformed about the project as he had not taken into account the views and concerns on the project that have been raised by the residents and civil society groups since the project started.

SOS Melaka spokesman Chan Tsu Choong said Loke was only looking at the cruise terminal and not the full Melaka Gateway project.

“We are not against the cruise terminal but the grouses raised by the people need to be addressed.

“They have yet to resolve the matter of the EIA report and the social issues that it (Melaka Gateway) has caused.” – April 4, 2023.